Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), the country's largest carmaker, today reported a 21.87 per cent jump in its total sales during March at 85,669 units as compared to 70,296 units in the same month last year.
The company also recorded its highest-ever annual sales in 2008-09 at 7,92,167 units as against 7,64,842 units in the previous fiscal, a rise of 3.57 per cent. The previous highest annual sales were in 2007-08.
"2008-09 marked Maruti Suzuki's Silver Jubilee year in India. Over these 25 years, the company sold over 70 lakh cars in the domestic market. Additionally, over five lakh cars have been exported world-over," the company said in a statement.
For March, the domestic sales of MSI stood at 73,855 units compared with 64,421 units in the same month a year ago, up by 14.64 per cent, it said.
MSI registered an over two-fold increase in its exports last month at 11,814 units as against 5,875 units in the corresponding month last year.
After September last year, MSI's sales in October, November and December had declined drastically by 7.1 per cent, 27.4 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively. In January and February, the company's sales, however, rose by 5.39 per cent and 24.08 per cent, respectively.
Sales of its once bread-and-butter model M800, however, fell by 61.75 per cent at 2,430 units last month against 6,353 units in the same period last year. The company has announced to phase out M800, along with Omni, from the market by 2016.
The A2 segment (comprising A-Star, Alto, Zen Estilo, Swift and WagonR) sales stood at 55,415 units against 41,869 units, registering an increase of 32.35 per cent.
The company posted a 14.05 per cent sales growth in the A3 segment (consisting of SX4, Esteem and Swift DZiRE) at 8,595 units as against 7,536 units last year.
MSI's total passenger-car sales moved northward by 13.58 per cent to 72,461 units against 63,799 units last year.
For the fiscal 2008-09, the NCR-based auto maker posted a rise of 1.45 per cent in its total sales in the domestic market at 7,22,144 units as compared to 7,11,818 units in the year-ago period. Exports jumped by 32.06 per cent at 70,023 units in FY09 as against 53,024 units in FY08, MSI said.
Its total passenger car sales rose marginally to 7,14,655 units last fiscal, from 7,07,897 units in the previous fiscal.
"During the year, the company continued its focus on long-term initiatives, despite the challenging market situation," the company said.
MSI had launched new technology K10B series engine in the last fiscal. It had also launched hatchback A-Star during the period, besides introducing LPG version of M800.
"Capacity to manufacture expanded from 8,00,000 units to 10,00,000 units annually in Gurgaon and Manesar plants," MSI said, adding dedicated export port facilities, for shipment of A-Star, was also completed at Mundra in 2008-09.
MSI has planned to increase its R&D strength to 1,000 engineers by 2010 from the existing 730.
Besides, the company in December, 2008, also launched a National Road Safety Mission to train 5,00,000 people in safe driving over the next three years.
